Last Dance
by Animegirl1129
Summary: Nick finds himself in a problematic situation and needs someone to help get him out of it. Will this man, Greg, be able to help? AU. NickGreg.
1. Prologue: The Dilema

-Last Dance-

**_Okay, this fic will be 11 parts. Prologue, 9 chapters, and an epilogue. They are all finsihed, but I plan to post them spread out a bit. They'll correspond with my posts on LJ. Because I'm just evil like that. Ugh... kind of AU, little bit of every other genre. Romance, angst, humor, drama. Don't own the characters, never will. OC's are mine. All of the other chapters are longer._**

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Prologue - The Dilemma:

"Nicky!" The individual on the other end of the phone line was far too hyper for this hour of the day. At least it seemed that way to someone who worked the nightshift, he'd just fallen into bed a little over an hour ago, the blue LCD display of his alarm clock told him. The voice on the other end of the line belonged to the youngest of his older sisters, Julia. "Guess what!?"

"Hmm… You're going to call back later when I'm actually kind of awake?" He grumbled, his Texan accent strong and laced with sleep.

She laughed. "No, you goof. Michael finally asked me! I'm getting married!" Julia proclaimed, and he could just see her bouncing around in circles. Probably with at least one of their other sisters as well.

Nick grinned, though he still refused to draw himself away from the comfort of his bed. "That's great, Jules!"

"Yeah, and I wanna see you here with that mystery lover of yours, too. The wedding is in two weeks, at mom and dad's." Julia informed him, and Nick almost dropped the phone.

In order to keep his mother off his back about his pretty much non-existent love life, he'd concocted an equally non-existent lover. How the hell was he supposed to bring this person with him when they weren't really there?

No one at work fit the description of the one he'd described. Tall, dirty blonde hair, gorgeous brown eyes, smart. His mind race through every conversation he'd had with his family on the topic. The combination of traits he'd thrown out there disqualified pretty much everyone he knew.

"You still there, Nicky?" Julia asked.

He shook his head, returning his attention to the forgotten phone. "Yeah, I'm here. I don't know about bringing--"

That was as far as he got before she cut him off. "Nonsense! You'd better bring her, or I'll pass out your baby pictures to your co-workers next time I come out there!" She threatened, and Nick knew full well that she wouldn't hesitate to make good on her warning. "I've got to go; I still have to call Jen and Kate."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later." He groaned, pulling the nearest pillow over his head upon hanging up. "Great, how the hell am I supposed to get myself out of this mess?"


	2. Chapter 1: The New Strategy

-Last Dance-

**_Same disclaimers apply. Oh, and reviews make me update faster!_**

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Chapter 1 - The New Strategy:

Nick waited, rather impatiently, for his companion to arrive. Two weeks had passed since that dreaded conversation with his sister. After almost ten days he'd finally come up with a plan. It was going to cost him, but at least his dignity would survive in the end.

"Are we ready to take off yet, sir?" The pilot of his father's private jet questioned, they were supposed to have been in the air ten minutes ago, but the escort Nick had hired to play the part of his girlfriend had yet to arrive.

Yes, he, Nicholas Stokes, had resorted to hiring an escort, he'd hit an all time low, he knew. He'd found an agency a few days prior, asked for someone fitting the description he'd given to his parents about his mystery lover, explained what would be required, paid the deposit and had gotten out of there as fast as he possibly could.

And, now, his date was late. Just fantastic. He was giving it five minutes. After that, well, he'd deal with the wrath of his evil sisters, as terrifying a thought as that was itself.

He sighed heavily, pacing the length of the cabin for what seemed to be the thousandth time, watching as the numbers on his watch slowly rolled forward. One more minute of this…

"Wait!" A voice shouted, just outside of the small craft. A figure came, huffing and puffing and trying to catch his breath, into view. "Wait! I'm here!"

The pilot helped his guest board the plane, taking his bags and storing them with Nick's in the overhead compartment.

"Hello, I'm Greg Sanders. It's nice to meet you." The younger man smiled, Nick was surprised the energy behind it didn't power up the whole airport.

The Texan stared. "And you are?"

"You hired me."

"No, no. I hired a woman. This must be a mix up." He took in the man's appearance. He was tall, just an inch or so taller than Nick himself, kind of scrawny, with dirty blonde hair, and brown eyes. Dressed in tight black jeans and a dark blue short-sleeve button down shirt. The look was completed with the red Converse All-Stars and the gravity defying spikes of his hair. He also looked as though he'd just sprinted his way through the terminal to get to them.

"Sir, if you plan to be in Dallas by noon, we need to get going." The pilot informed them, glancing briefly at the new addition to the plane again.

"Fine, whatever." Nick grumbled waiting until the older man had retreated back into the cockpit before turning to the other again. "Look, I'm sorry; there must have been some mistake…"

"You went to Independent Escort Services, right?" Nick nodded. "Yeah, well, they only cater to male-to-male clientele. So, if anyone made a mistake here, it was you."

The Texan absorbed that information without voicing his thoughts, sinking deeper and deeper into his seat as they gathered altitude and headed towards the Lone Star stare. Greg sank into his own seat across the aisle from Nick, waiting for the other man to speak again. However, he was too lost in thought to notice Greg's silence.

This was just his luck. Here he'd thought he'd found away around this whole mess when this falls into his lap. Ooh, better not start on that train of thought. That might get him in trouble. Was it really that bad? It's not like it mattered to him, he already knew he liked guys as much as, if not more than, he liked girls. So, really what was the big deal? He'd just have to rework his plan a little…

More than halfway through the two and a half hour flight from Las Vegas to Dallas, neither man had spoken a word. Nick still sat, plotting how this could possibly work out now that he'd decided he was okay with it. Greg was clutching at the arms of his own seat with headphones on, the cord trialing and disappearing into his left front pocket where a CD player was undoubtedly stashed, however, the music didn't seem to be calming him.

Nick noticed this. "Are you okay?" The elder man finally asked, eyeing his companion.

Greg bit his lip, offering a slight nod. "Never flown before." He admitted, glad that it seemed as though they were talking again, it would help to distract him from his fears. "Your name's Nick, right?"

"Yeah, Nick Stokes." The Texan realized he'd never actually introduced himself, which was just rude no matter the situation. "Sorry about… before. This kind of threw me for a loop." Nick apologized, reaching across the aisle to offer a hand.

"So, they told me you needed a date for a wedding?" Greg prodded, that thousand-watt smile reappearing, as he tried to keep the small talk going. "Can I ask how on earth someone who looks like you do is single?"

"The hours I work, mostly. Normally I'd be crawling into bed about now." The Texan shrugged, this trip was seriously going to throw off this routine.

Greg nodded. "Yeah, between this job and college, that's pretty much it for my schedule, too."

Nick suddenly felt guilty. "You're not blowing off classes for this, are you?"

"Oh, no! The semester just ended, I have a few weeks of break now, before summer classes start. I wouldn't have agreed if I had class. This is my last year; I have a job at the crime lab lined up after that. This job is only temporary, while I'm still in school." The younger explained, moving to the seat beside Nick, both men feeling more comfortable with each other now.

"That's where I work. I'm a C.S.I. Maybe we'll end up working together someday." Nick smiled, though he had trouble seeing the young college student seeing the horror of what they processed every day. It wasn't pretty.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity." Greg shrugged an obvious sign that he wanted a change of topic.

"They explained the situation to you, right?" He really hoped they had, the tale was embarrassing enough to tell to a complete stranger, someone he'd never have to see again. As opposed to Greg, who would be with him throughout the extended weekend.

"They told me that you'd need me to pretend as though we've been together for a while. And that I'd be going to a wedding. In Dallas. Yeah. Not much more than that though, if you care to elaborate."

Nick nodded, trying to figure out where to start. "Well…"


	3. Chapter 2: Family Introductions

-Last Dance-

**_Same disclaimers apply. Oh, and reviews make me update faster! Oh, and just so you know. This isn't one of thos fics where Nick's family disowns him in a heartbeat. _**

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Chapter 2 - Family Introductions:

"Alright, it's only about a ten minutes drive from here. I recommend that we use this time to get our story straight." Nick suggested, sliding into the drivers seat of the black Chevy Tahoe he always drove when he was in town after stowing their luggage in the back.

Greg nodded, climbing in as well. "Sounds like a good idea." He agreed, glancing apprehensively at the radio.

"Dare I ask what kind of music you like?"

"Ugh, mostly rock. Manson's my favorite. I can deal with most anything though; I just like having something in the background." Greg explained, though he was praying for anything besides country.

Nick dug around in the CD case under his seat. "Since I obviously don't use this car much, I don't have much in here. Are 'The Eagles' okay with you?" He would have suggested the radio, but he didn't know the stations well, other than his favorite country one.

The younger nodded enthusiastically, thrilled that they may actually have kind of the same taste in music. "Yeah. That's great."

"So…" Nick started, popping in the CD and setting it to a low volume, 'Hotel California' emanating from the speakers. "This whole lie started like… a year and a half ago."

"Then we've been together since like… November of 1995." He quickly calculated out in his head.

The Texan nodded. "Say, we met like November 29th or so. Right after I got back to Vegas after Thanksgiving. First date?" Greg raised an eyebrow. "Trust me, they always ask about a first date."

"Ugh… something simple? Like coffee?"

"Sounds good. From there…. I don't know, follow my lead." Nick shrugged. "I'll warn you now, though, that I have a really big family. And I don't know how they're going to react when they find out…"

Greg's eyes wandered over to meet his. "So long as they don't try to kill me, I'll deal."

They'd turned into a long driveway now, and Nick slowed the car to a stop. "Here we are…"

"Let's go."

"Okay." Nick took a deep breath, exhaling rather loudly as they made their way up the front steps of his parents large ranch house on the outskirts of the town after grabbing their bags from the back. "You ready?"

"Yeah." He stared at the visibly nervous man before him. "Are you?"

"Nope. Not at all."

Before Greg could comment on that, the double doors in front of him swung open, an older woman of about 50 or so appeared, pulling Nick into her arms. "Nicholas!" She swooned loudly. "It's so nice to have you home again!"

Nick hugged her back, pulling away to kiss her on the cheek. "Hey, Mom." He looked to Greg then. Best to get this over with quickly, like pulling off a band-aid. "There's someone I want you to meet."

"Oh, yes! Of course! Jennifer said you'd be bringing someone along." She turned around, eyes falling on Greg. "Oh!" Realization dawned on her face, and she swept the younger man into her arms much as she had Nick.

The Texan appeared incredibly amused by the look of shock on the younger's face. "Mom, this is Greg Sanders. Greggo, this is my mother, Jillian." He introduced the two, moving to stand beside his mock-lover after he'd finally been released from the hug.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Stokes. I've heard so much about you." Greg said, his bright smile appearing, putting on his best act.

"Jillian, dear. My mother-in-law was Mrs. Stokes, evil witch that she was." She laughed at the scolding look her only son shot her, leading them into the house. The apparently very, very crowded house.

Nick casually threw an arm over Greg's shoulders, dropping their bags by the door where everyone else had left theirs. "This is going to get confusing." He warned, gesturing to the large amount of people moving about in the living room before leading Greg towards the closest few relatives.

"Nick!" The brunette woman shrieked, throwing her arms around her brother. The Texan shook hands with the man standing beside her before turning to Greg again. "Greg, this is my sister Elise and her husband, Noah. Guys, this is Greg, my boyfriend." He was surprised by how easily that seemed to come out. He was also equally taken aback by Elise's reaction.

"Aha! I knew it!" She proclaimed, smirking at her husband, a tall, athletic man with dirty blond hair. "Very nice to meet you, Greg." She shook his hand politely.

"If you grin any wider, honey, your face might split in two." Noah teased, also offering a hand. "Nice to see Nicky finally found someone willing to tolerate him."

Greg smiled and talked with them until Nick pulled him towards the next group of people. The theme continued. With Megan and David, Jamie and Dan, Katie and Alex, Jen and Nathan, and finally, Julia and Michael, the bride and groom to be.

"I'm amazed, you actually brought him!" Julia teased, prodding Nick in the chest. "I thought you'd chicken out on me."

He rolled his eyes at her, pulling her into a hug. "Well, I didn't. Greg, this is the youngest of my older sisters, Julia. And her fiancé, Michael. Jules, Mike, this is Greg."

"Bet you're having fun trying to keep all these names straight, huh?" Michael asked shaking the younger man's hand. "Don't worry, I understand completely. Took me forever."

"Aww, Nicky! He's so cute!" Julia decreed, pulling Greg into yet another hug. "Nice to finally meet you, Greg."

"Baby, let him breath." Michael laughed, shaking his head toward Nick over her head. "Have you seen all the kids yet?"

Greg stared, gawking at Nick. "There's more?"

"Oh, ho, lots more." Julia nodded. "All the nieces and nephews are playing in the basement."

"I think we'll head down there a bit later." He watched Greg visibly sigh in relief. "We'll talk to you later." He led Greg away from the crowd of people, toward the drink bar in the currently abandoned kitchen. "Not so bad was it?"

The younger man shook his head. "You… have a lot of sisters. I shudder to think of how many kids are downstairs."

Nick laughed, pouring himself and Greg drinks. "Fourteen, if they're all here. Ages ranging from one to seventeen." Greg just gaped at this information. "Yeah, it's a lot. The main obstacle is still to come, though. My dad." He cringed at the thought. "I guess he's still at work, but we're bound to see him eventually."

"Well, we got 13 out of 14 on our side. One more shouldn't be too hard, should it?"

"Mm, you haven't met my dad." The Texan shrugged.

A head popped in the doorway. "Nick! Greg!" It was Jen, Nick's eldest sister. "Come out here. All the couples are playing Truth or Dare."

"I think we'll sit this one--" Nick was cut off when his sister grabbed his arm, taking matters into her own hands by pulling both men out of the room. She only released them once they'd taken seats on the couch beside her.

"Are we ready to start now?" Jamie asked looking around the group to make sure everyone was there. "Alright, good."

"Wait." Someone said from the doorway, stepping into the room. "I'll play, too."

Greg watched as Nick noticeably tensed, his eyes fixating in a glare on the woman who'd just entered. "You okay?" He asked, concerned for the older man.

Nick didn't acknowledge his question, just kept scowling at the newest addition to their group.

"Hey, Kristie." Michael greeted, sliding over to make room for her on the sofa. He noticed Greg's questioning look. "Oh, Greg, this is my sister, Kristie. Krys, this is Nick's boyfriend, Greg." He introduced the two, obviously missing the palpable discomfort in the room now.

"Nicky…" She smirked, looking between the two men. "Explains a lot."


	4. Chapter 3: Ill Timed Jokes

-Last Dance-

**_Same disclaimers apply. Oh, and reviews make me update faster! Oh, and just so you know. This isn't one of thos fics where Nick's family disowns him in a heartbeat. If you guys step up on the reviewing, I might post an ectra chapter tonight. Seriously, 600 some views and only 4 reviews on that last one is a little disheartening. Come on, guys. _**

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Chapter 3 - Ill Timed Observation:

"Greg," The Texan warned, eyeing the man leaning against the kitchen counter warily. "I mean it. Leave. It. Alone." Nick drew the statement out as much as possible to exemplify just how much he meant it.

The younger man appeared insulted by the condescending tone. He huffed, crossing his arms defensively over his chest, as he watched Nick move around the large room pouring drinks. "Fine then. Pardon my noticing the effect that the Ice Queen in there had on you."

Nick shot him a fierce look. "I told you to drop it." He repeated, advancing on Greg, trying to recall why they were in here anyway.

The game was still in progress in the other room. Greg had volunteered both himself and Nick to get drinks for the group. Now, it seemed, he may have had an ulterior motive in doing so.

"Ahem…" The sound of someone clearing their throat distracted Greg from his reply. He and Nick spun around to see Kristie hovering in the doorway.

"Ah, speak of the Devil." The Texan grumbled under his breath, but Greg caught it.

"Nicky." She grinned, stepping into the room and - Greg could only call it prancing - up to Nick, stopping inches from the man. "Were you planning on bending your boyfriend over a counter in here or actually getting us those drinks?" She seemed to have a smirk permanently etched on her face.

Nick didn't react at all to her comments, merely stood his ground, and stared over her shoulder at some fixed point on the opposite wall.

Seeing that she wouldn't be getting a reaction out of Nick, Kristie moved on to the younger man. "Did he bother telling you about me?" She questioned, invading his personal space. Granted people had been doing that all night, but this was the first time he'd felt inherently uncomfortable with it.

He opened his mouth to reply, to say he didn't care who the hell she was, so long as she took one very big step backwards. "I don't--"

"We were engaged." She cut him off before he could even start. "Four years ago. He was convinced I cheated on him, still swears that to this day. So he broke it off. Three weeks before our wedding. I just think he's terrified of actual commitment…"

Nick stepped between them, his fingers entwining with Greg's. "Come on, Greggo. Let's get back to the game." He pulled the younger man away from the woman still grinning as if she knew some nationally guarded secret, grabbed the drinks, and escaped the room as quickly as possible.

"She's… insane." Greg whispered before they reached the group. Nick only nodded in reply.

The game didn't last much longer after that. Everyone could sense the cloud of hostility floating about the room now. The kids came up from downstairs, too, which led to another lengthy round of introductions as well as Greg being roped into a round of X-Box with some of the older kids.

Brandon, Katie's 12 year old, seemed to have attached himself to the new addition, and had to be bribed before he agreed to go to sleep.

"Shouldn't you two be heading up, soon, too?" Kristie taunted as she passed them. She winked suggestively. "Careful," She warned Greg. "He's a noisy lover."

Greg, deciding that Nick had taken the right approach from the beginning of all of this, joined in on the glaring until she was well out of hearing range.

"We really should head up though." Nick shrugged, taking Greg's hand to pull him off the couch. There weren't many people still hanging around, most had gone to bed already, only those, like Nick and Greg, who were used to being awake at night were still moving about. So, after saying goodnight to the remaining conscious family members, the two headed upstairs.

Nick's room was on the third floor of the large ranch house. The second door on the left, down the hall from Jen's and diagonally across the hall from Katie's. The bathroom was next to hers, the only one available on the floor. Navy blue walls with family photos and older things from Nick's old childhood room were scattered about the shelves and dressers and just about every flat surface available. A full bed sat in one corner of the room, neatly folded down for them.

"Damn, I forgot about this…" The elder cursed, eyes falling on his bed. "Umm, you go ahead and use the bathroom first; I'll try and figure this out."

"We could just share it, if that's okay with you…" Greg suggested. "I mean, if someone walks in here, thinking we've been together for two years, they'd probably be expecting us to be sharing a bed."

Nick bit his lip, thinking over the situation. "Yeah, that's true." He hesitated for a moment. "Alright, that'll have to work then. You can still get ready first, though."

"Thanks," The younger nodded, slipping quietly out of the room to the one.

When he returned, dressed in an old 1985 Eagles shirt and a pair of plaid pajama pants, he found that Nick was already changed as well. The Texan passed him in an A&M t-shirt and his boxers, heading into the bathroom to get ready himself. Greg waited at the foot of the bed.

"You could have laid down, you know." Nick stated a moment later, upon reappearing in the room.

"Well, I didn't know if you had a side preference or not." Greg pointed out.

Nick laughed. "No, not really. Do you?" The other man shook his head. "Okay, then. I'll take the wall." With that, the two men slid into the bed, sinking into the comfort of the bed, both exhausted from the long day. The Texan ended up more so in the center of the bed than against the wall. He was used to his big King sized bed at home, this mattress hardly seemed big enough for one, let alone two. He shrugged, an arm landing over Greg's waist.

"I think now would be a good time to warn you about my 'no-sex' policy." Greg said softly into the dark room he was facing, though he didn't move away from the touch. He'd been trying to lighten the mood a bit, but it failed.

"Wasn't trying anything." The Texan grumbled, rather insulted at the implication. "It's a small bed, there are eight extremities and they have to go -somewhere-, alright?" He growled the day's worth of stress -the flight, the mix-up, the odd hours, and Kristie- all causing him to snap at the undeserving man currently sharing his bed.

Greg shifted further towards the edge, breaking the contact. "Okay, sorry. Just thought you should know." He recoiled, praying he didn't fall out of the bed in the middle of the night. He hoped Kristie wouldn't be attending whatever they were doing tomorrow; she made Nick exponentially much less fun to be around.


	5. Chapter 4: Revelations

-Last Dance-

**_Same disclaimers apply. Oh, and reviews make me update faster! Oh, and just so you know. This isn't one of thos fics where Nick's family disowns him in a heartbeat. If you guys step up on the reviewing, I might post an ectra chapter tonight. Seriously, 600 some views and only 4 reviews on that last one is a little disheartening. Come on, guys. I'm having some computer issues. My AC adapter for my laptop has died yet again, so I'm stuck using my brothers very evil computer ubtil the new one shows up. _**

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Chapter 4 - Revelations:

"Everyone!" Jillian called, trying to be heard over the commotion that came with having that many people in one place. She raised her voice, as only those surrounding her had stopped talking. "Could I just get everyone's attention for just a minute?"

A shrill whistle rang through the ears of those in the area, and Greg suspected maybe as far away as China, too. But, everyone had indeed stopped what they were doing.

"Thank you, Nicky." She smiled softly at her son before speaking to the crowd again. "Alright, listen up. We've rented out the park for the day. There will be food and drinks set up shortly in the gazebo. I'm sure the men will set up a football game. There's a playground just over there." She pointed toward the towering wooden structure built to look like a castle. "So, everyone, go have fun."

With the speech over, the group slowly dispersed, wandering off in packs.

"Julia's wedding corresponds with our usual family reunion thing." Nick shrugged, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. It was an unusually chilly day, most of Nick's family were wearing light jackets, and this included the two men walking towards the benches a little ways away from the group.

"Nick…" The younger started, a hand resting on the other man's shoulder. "I'm sorry for what I said last night. I wasn't helping anything."

The Texan shook his head. "I'm just as much to blame; I should have at least warned you in advance about Kristie. She's kind of… weird. But, I didn't think she'd be here. It wasn't your fault though. I shouldn't have taken it out on you." He reached for Greg's hand, smiling when their fingers fit together, as if they were made to be that way.

A voice from behind them started them from their momentary relaxation. "Poncho!" Both men turned around to see an older man grinning at Nick.

The Texan in question was in front of the other man in a heartbeat, hugging his father fiercely. "Cisco!" He threw a quick glance at Greg daring him to say anything against their nicknames. "Busy at work?"

"Incredibly so." The elder shrugged, his eyes falling on Greg. "Who's your friend?"

Greg stood, moving to stand beside Nick. "Dad, this is Greg Sanders, my, ugh, my boyfriend." He closed his eyes, fearing his father's reaction.

Laughter had not been what he'd expected. "About damn time you got that over with!" He watched his sons jaw drop and only laughed harder. "Poncho, my boy, you honestly think that everyone in our family didn't already know?"

"I… wow… this is rather… awkward." Nick stuttered, mind trying to catch up with this information. Here he'd been terrified about having this conversation with his father for years… and he was being laughed at? When exactly had they fallen into the Twilight Zone?

"Greg, I'm Bill Stokes. It's nice to meet you."

Greg nodded mutely as he shook hands with the man Nick was still staring at. "You, too, sir."

"Have you introduced him to everyone else yet?" The Judge asked his son, who still seemed to be dazed by the reaction. Greg nudged him in the side, effectively regaining his attention.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. The girls love him." Nick laughed, an arm over Greg's shoulder.

The younger man nodded. "And so do the kids. Only exception being Kristie." He cringed at the mention of her name.

Bill laughed. "Ah, yeah. That was to be expected. She's not here now, is she?"

"Haven't seen her." Nick shrugged, hoping he hadn't just jinxed his luck with that.

"Well, you two should go have some fun while you still can. Things get crazy after tonight." With that, Bill shooed them toward the others.

Nick's brother in laws had indeed started a football game, along with a few of the older kids. The younger kids were playing around on the jungle gym the playground.

"What do you wanna do?" The Texan asked, eyeing the makeshift football field himself. "Do you play?"

"Not that into sports. I'll go hang with the little ones. You have fun." Greg took off toward the swing set he was far more interested in and left Nick behind to join the game.

An hour passed by and the football game finally came to an end, everyone sweaty and ready for a break. Nick joined his mother on one of the picnic benches after grabbing himself a water bottle. "Having fun?" He asked, looking around at what everyone was doing.

Most of his sisters were playing a volleyball game on one of the courts. Kate and Greg were with the kids, and the guys were still recovering from their game.

"Nicky, don't let this one get away." Jillian was watching Greg push Ryan, Jamie's three year old, in one of the swings. "He's been doing that since you started playing. And he remembers names!" She declared. "Do you know how long it took the others to learn all of them?"

"Yeah." Nick watched, fascinated by the younger man, as he swapped Ryan for Caleb and moved to an infant swing for Megan's 16 month old. "He's pretty amazing."

"Where did you find him?" She teased, prodding him in the chest.

Realizing she was only joking, he laughed before answering. "The Yellow Pages." Best way to convince someone that you're not lying to them is to tell them you are, right? His attention wandered back to Greg, who was still blissfully oblivious to the world as it existed outside of himself and Caleb.

"You two seem really happy together." His mother smiled. "Don't screw it up, okay?"

By the time, he'd realized she asked a question, she'd stood and made her way toward Jen, who had called a time out in the game. Nick just kept watching Greg as he played with the kids, how he seemed to have fit right into his large family and won everyone over without any complications at all.

It wasn't fair that when they went back to Vegas on Monday this would all be over, because he was starting to let himself forget that Greg was getting paid to put on this seriously convincing act and that they weren't really in love. It sure as hell felt like it.

"I'm in so much trouble." He shook his head, walking over toward the younger man.

"Hey, Nicky!" Greg grinned, and damn, Nick was falling in love with that smile.

His arms wound around the other's slighter frame, an action that would have been awkward with anyone else, but felt perfectly normal with Greg. "You wanna go get some food?"

He nodded, lifting Caleb from the swing. "Yeah, sounds good."

When Nick's heart swelled at that sight, he knew he was seriously screwed here. Because seeing Greg holding a baby shouldn't make him that hopeful for the future, should it? That he could convince Greg to really fall in love with him, that he wanted this to be real?

He was in too deep. And he was going to drown if something didn't happen soon.


	6. Chapter 5: Hotel Rooms

-Last Dance-

**_Same disclaimers apply. Oh, and reviews make me update faster! Oh, and just so you know. This isn't one of thos fics where Nick's family disowns him in a heartbeat. If you guys step up on the reviewing, I might post an ectra chapter tonight. Seriously, 600 some views and only 4 reviews on that last one is a little disheartening. Come on, guys. I'm having some computer issues. My AC adapter for my laptop has died yet again, so I'm stuck using my brothers very evil computer ubtil the new one shows up. Giving you guys another chapter while I have the chance. Hope ya like. _**

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Chapter 5 - Hotel Rooms:

"Greg…" The Texan shrugged, leaning against the bathroom door. "Come on. We need to get going." He glanced at his watch for the seventh time in twice as many minutes, watching the hands move to seven o'clock. They were going to be late.

"One minute." Greg supplied, as he shuffled about on the other side of the door, attempting to make himself look presentable. Morgan, Jamie's seven month old, had spit up on his shirt, which meant that Nick had to take him home and let Greg change before heading back out. The door opened, the younger man emerging in a black silk button down shirt and tight blue jeans. "Is this okay?" He asked nervously.

Nick could only nod, reduced to a blubbering pile of goo at the sight before him. No one should be able to make those normal clothes look so damn good. "Ugh, yeah." He finally managed, but only after several very unsophisticated moments of staring. "What were we doing again?"

Greg laughed, sliding his Converses back on. "The Bachelor Party?"

"Oh! Right!" Whose dumb idea was it to go to that thing when he could be staring at Greg!? "Let's go!" He grabbed the younger man's hand, dragging him down the stairs and out to the car.

"Where's the fire, Nicky?" Greg teased, as he slid into the passenger's seat.

Oh, ho. The replies he could make to that. He should arrest Greg. After all, it had to be a crime to look that good. Then he considered arresting himself for thinking in such clichés.

The bar that the party was taking place in wasn't that far from the ranch. Only a twenty minute drive or so. All of the other men had already arrived when Nick and Greg finally pulled up. The women were gathered at another bar, while some from each group had stayed behind to watch the kids.

"I hope this goes well." The Texan took a deep breath upon throwing the Tahoe into park.

Greg reached over, resting a reassuring hand on the other's knee. "Kristie's not here. How much better can it get?" He smiled softly, lighting up the dark interior of the car.

Unable to resist that, Nick closed the distance between them until his lips pressed lightly to the other man's. Met with no resistance, and instead, active participation, he brought one hand up to entangle in the other's sandy brown hair, keeping Greg from pulling away.

As fireworks erupted between them, and the need for air became a distant memory, the two were completely oblivious to the few people that had gathered around the car. Nathan, David, Michael and two other unidentified subjects roared with raucous laughter, rather amused to have caught the youngest Stokes man in this situation.

They two quickly separated upon realizing that they were being watched, panting and in desperate need of oxygen, as they reluctantly withdrew themselves from the car, both now attempting to hide just how much they'd enjoyed their first kiss.

"There's a hotel across the street, boys. You should invest in a room." Michael's best friend, and also the owner of the bar, Steve Morlock, teased, having been filled in on the most recent development arising in the chaos of the wedding.

Nick and Greg endured many more a comment from the group, all in good natured fun, as they made their way into the crowded bar.

"Alright everyone!" Steven shouted, easily drawing everyone's attention. "We all know that our boy, Mikey, is getting hitched this weekend," This comment was met with a loud cheer. "So this is last hurrah."

"Jeez, man." Michael nudged his friend. "It's not a funeral."

"That's what he says now." Nathan laughed from a few feet away, standing beside Nick and Greg. His soon to be brother in law flipped him off.

Steve started again. "So, in honor of this tragic occasion, let's give Mikey a night he won't soon forget!" And with that, the real party began.

Nick and Greg had retreated to a table towards the back of the bar, talking amongst themselves, and enjoying the beers that were placed in front of them. They'd just gotten on the topic of their kiss in the parking lot when Michael appeared. He was sloshed and looked barely fit to stand up straight.

"Hello, boys." His voice was slurred as he fell into the seat beside Nick, knocking over Greg's drink in the process. Luckily, it was pretty much empty so no harm was done. "You two… having fun?"

Stifling his amusement at the other man, Greg nodded. "Yeah, man. It's great."

"Listen, Nicky…" Mike garbled, reaching for the unopened beer in front of the other Texan. "Just ignore my sister. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"No arguments here." Nick nodded, gripping the man's arm to keep him from falling out of the booth.

Michael wasn't done yet, though. He downed the entire drink before he continued. "She said there was no way you two were really together. Hah! Who is she kidding?"

Steven and Mark, the other unknown man from the parking lot then appeared, pulling their friend away. "Okay, buddy, I think you've had just a bit too much there."

By the end of the night, some five hours after arriving at the bar, Nick and Greg were completely plastered. They somehow made it back to the Tahoe, horny and impatient.

"They took my keys." The Texan finally realized, upon setting off his car alarm trying to get in. He slammed his fist against the door, as if that would somehow unlock it, which, obviously failed. His eyes fell on the hotel that Steven had jokingly pointed out earlier. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Greg managed to get the arm that wasn't using Nick to steady himself jammed in the other's back pocket, groping what it found.

The two miraculously made it across the street, luckily just missing the eighteen-wheeler that had recently passed. They weren't quite coherent enough to register traffic lights. Nick moved to the desk, impatiently waiting to be attended to.

Moments later, he and Greg had a room on the third floor, and they couldn't get there fast enough.

"317." Nick recited over and over, reading the room key as they scoured the maze like hallways for their assigned room.

It was Greg who ultimately located it. "Here." He announced, only because he'd inadvertently run into it.

He jammed the card key into the slot, resulting in a failed attempt to open it. He tried again, this time with a flash of a green light. He opened the door, pulling the younger in as well. Shirts were on the floor in a matter of seconds, as Nick kicked the door closed behind him, not even bothering with the lights.

"Mm… Nicky…" The younger moaned arching into the other man's hold. The lips fused against his neck detected every change in his fluttering pulse as the Texan walked them backwards toward the bed.

A skilled hand worked at the button of Greg's jeans without missing a beat. The younger's knees hit the edge of the bed before Nick pushed him backwards, easily keeping the younger man pinned in place as he climbed over top of him.

"Nicky, please…" Greg whimpered, fingers looking for purchase with the other's pants. "I want you."

Another searing kiss was the only answer he received as they continued on in their alcohol-induced passion.


	7. Chapter 6: Post Coital Reflections

-Last Dance-

**_Same disclaimers apply. Oh, and reviews make me update faster! Oh, and just so you know. This isn't one of thos fics where Nick's family disowns him in a heartbeat. Loving the reviews, guys! keep it up! I might post an extra chapter tonight, if you do. My AC adapter has been replaced! Go snail mail. 16 hours to get it. O.o _**

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Chapter 6 - Post Coital Reflections:

The Texan stirred early, long before he'd wanted to. Nick yawned, expecting to wake in his own bed back at the ranch. He also expected to be clothed and with some space between himself and Greg. However, none of those things ringed true.

They were most definitely not in his bedroom. That was for sure. He was also completely naked, with a comforter resting somewhere around his hips. He also had a makeshift blanket of Greg draped over his chest. One of the younger man's arms lazily splayed over his torso.

It was obvious just from this what they had done. The suction bruises on Greg's neck, and his kiss swollen lips backed him up, too. And the dried substance on his hand.

"What the hell did we do?" He whispered softly, so as not to wake his bed mate. The longer he had to think this through the better. Nick carefully maneuvered the younger man out of his arms, as much as he liked the feelings it invoked in him. He made his way to the bathroom, intent on taking a shower.

Several moments later, Greg cringed, pulling himself into a sitting position. He put a hand to his aching head, trying to force the beginnings of his alcohol induced headache away. It wasn't working. "What were we thinking drinking that much?" He groaned, tempted to just fall back into the pillows.

It was then that he realized several things, in no particular order. One: He was alone in the bed, though it looked like someone had taken on the covers in a WWE wresting match. Two: There was a trail of clothes leading from the door to the bed. Three: He was sore in places he was certain he'd never been sore before. Four: They were not in Nick's bedroom back at the ranch house. And five: He wasn't wearing anything but the sheet that had gotten tangled around his hips.

"What…?"

His haze filled brain seemed to clear, memories of the previous nights activities flooding his brain. He remembered drinking, lots of drinking. And kissing. And groping. And a hotel. And… sex.

As Nick's jeans had landed closest to him, he picked them up, hoping to find some clue of just exactly what had transpired between them. The bar receipt. That explained the hang over. The room key. That explained the not being at Nick's part.

The bathroom door, which was desperately in need of some WD-40, creaked noisily in the intruders attempt at a silent entry, a cloud of steam from a shower escaping into the room. Not that it mattered; the only other occupant of the room was already awake. "Oh! You're up!"

Greg subconsciously wrapped the sheet covering him tighter, as he scanned the area for his own clothes, suddenly embarrassed. "Yeah…"

"You okay?" The Texan asked, tossing Greg the Superman boxers that had landed near the nightstand before going after his own.

"A little hung over… and sore." His body protested when he moved to slide the shorts on, making him cringe.

Nick just shrugged, as he hurried to finish dressing. "Don't worry, that'll pass." He assured the younger man. "I'm going to get us some coffee. You should jump in the shower. We need to get back to the ranch." With that, he was out the door.

"Great." Greg huffed, making his way toward the bathroom. "Today's gonna suck."

Forty-five minutes after stepping into that shower he and Nick were back at the Stokes ranch, sitting in the back yard having breakfast with the whole family. As if they hadn't been shacked up in a hotel all night.

Nick had been watching his not so pretend lover all morning, and he didn't like the results. Greg was distant, was hardly even talking. Over the weekend, he learned silence was a rare thing for the younger man. However, he didn't enjoy the reprieve. That silence was unsettling.

"Are you okay, man?" He nudged Greg while his sisters were distracted with their pregnancy stories.

The college student simply nodded, as he continued sipping at his coffee as if nothing was happening between them.

A hand landed on Nick's shoulder and he jumped, caught unaware. "Oh, Michael. You feel better?"

He looked like a new man, refreshed and ready to go. "Yeah, all good. I may be a complete and utter fool when drunk, but alcohol gets through my system pretty quickly." Michael's eyes fell on Greg. "Cant say the same about him, though."

"I'm not a big drinker." It was the longest reply Greg had offered all morning.

"Neither am I, usually." The Texan supplied, resting an arm on the younger man's shoulders, hoping he wouldn't reject the action with his currently rather unpleasant mood.

Michael laughed. "Not the way I heard it. Oh! So many people to entertain." He rolled his eyes at one of his sisters beckoning for him to come over before excusing himself. "See you later, lovebirds."

"People know?" Greg demanded quietly, a blush rising in his cheeks at the thought of Nick's family knowing what their son had been doing last night.

"Know what? No one knows about the hotel. He's probably just talking about the kiss in the car." The Texan offered, moving to refill his coffee cup.

Despite the fact that it had been only been a few hours since he'd first realized what they'd done last night, it felt like everyone knew what had happened between them. It was making the whole event extremely uncomfortable for him.

Really, he was more annoyed with the Texan than anything else. He was acting as if nothing had happened between them.

His train of thought was interrupted when Kristie slid into a chair across from them, obviously having made note of the palpable tension between the two of them. "So, Nicky." She purred, for lack of a better word. "You and Greg having a little lover's tiff?"

"I'm too tired to deal with you right now, Kristie." Nick, even after having three cups of coffee, had yet to return to his pre-hung over status, despite the act he put on.

They were getting no sympathy from her today, though. "Aww, what's the matter. Did your young lover wear you out?

"I can't wait until I'm back in Vegas." The Texan ground out through clenched teeth, reaching to pour himself yet another up of coffee.

That comment hurt Greg deeply. It made him remember that he and Nick weren't really together. He was good at his job. He could convince anyone, including himself apparently, that they were a couple. He'd never had problems like this before. Of course, Nick Stokes had never been his client before, either.

Seeing the look of hurt on the younger man's face, Kristie grinned in satisfaction, retreating from her current targets. "Better things to do, boys."

She wasn't the only one to notice the look on Greg's face. Nick caught it the second the words were spoken. "Greg…"

"Don't." Greg whispered, excusing himself. He distanced himself from the group, wandering away from the crowd of people and planning to stroll aimlessly around the estate.

It wasn't fair. Nick didn't want him. He wanted a quick, dirty one night stand in a cheap hotel room. Not a relationship. Not someone to wake up to every morning. Not Greg.

Boy, was he wrong.


	8. Chapter 7: Thermite

-Last Dance-

**_Same disclaimers apply. Oh, and reviews make me update faster! Oh, and just so you know. This isn't one of thos fics where Nick's family disowns him in a heartbeat. Loving the reviews, guys! keep it up! Aw, hell, good mood equals chapter seven. _**

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Chapter 7 - Thermite:

It only took Nick about thirty seconds to realize he needed to find Greg and figure out what was wrong. He excused himself from the meal and hurried off in the direction Greg had gone. He followed the other man all around the gardens, around the house, to the barn and back and finally to the front of the house. Somewhere the elder could finally corner him.

"Greg!" The Texan demanded grabbing the younger man's arm and forcing him to turn around upon entering the house. They were both exhausted and covered in sweat from Greg's inane wandering "What the hell is your problem?"

He tried to pull away from Nick's hold, but it was useless, the only way he was escaping was if Nick let go, and that obviously wasn't happening. "Leave me alone!"

Nick held his ground, making Greg face him. "I'm not letting go until you tell me what's wrong!"

"You want to know what's wrong? Fine!" He advanced on the older man, sending him backpedaling until he was against the wall. "I broke my own rules. We… we slept together, Nick. And, while I may be just another notch in your bedpost, it was the first time I've ever let anyone that close to me."

"Greg--"

"No!" Greg shouted. "You wanted to know, you're getting the whole story. I let myself get attached to you. Told myself you were different from the rest. That you might have actually cared. And you proved me wrong."

Nick tried to interrupt again. "Greg, I--"

"You acted like it had never even happened! Like it was just another day and we weren't at some shoddy hotel with hang-over's and bruises. And then…" He paused, to collect himself before continuing. "And then this morning, while you were checking out of the room. I found the money you took out of the ATM. To pay me for my services? You knew you were gonna get in my pants!"

"Stop!"

Greg did.

"Look. I've never done anything like this before, okay?" He gestured between the two of them awkwardly. "A relationship like this before, I mean. Well, I haven't done the escort thing before either, but that's not what I'm talking about." He was rambling, he knew. "But, I do care about you."

"Which is why you can't wait to get back to Vegas?" He recalled the Texan's earlier comment, which was still stinging. "So this can all just be over and you won't have to deal with me anymore?"

"Christ!" Nick roared. "God, you're just like Kristie!" He resisted the urge to slam his fist into a wall. "Just like her. You don't let me get a word in edgewise; you jump to conclusions, and assume the worst." Nick's mind abruptly changed topics on him, causing him to blurt out his newly rationalized thought. "That stupid 'no sex' comment you gave me the first night here must've been a joke if you were so willing last night."

The younger froze, shaking his head at the other man. "That wasn't a joke. I've never let anyone touch me before you. Not girls or guys. I was waiting for the right person. And, while that might have been you, it definitely wouldn't have been like that. Last night was my first time, I was drunk out of my skull, and I can't even remember what happened."

Between the alcohol still lingering in his system, the rush from being with Greg last night and the adrenaline pumping through his veins now, he was too irrational to logically comprehend any of this. So, he allowed his anger to continue to control him. "Sure it was. Bet you say that to all the guys you escort for."

"This is only the fourth assignment I've had. Wanna know why?" He'd been pushed too far now. "The first one tried to attack me, which one landed me in the hospital for almost a month. The second one ended up being a friend of his. That was a two week hospital stay. The last was just a complete and utter pervert who tried to buy me off. He showed up at school and I almost got kicked out because of it. And then there's you. Who succeeded where the other's failed. Congratulations to you, Nicholas Stokes."

"Greg--"

"No! I'm not listening to this anymore." He snapped, glad that they had somehow ended up in Nick's room and all of his things had remained in one general area. He shoved his clothes into his bag and stormed toward the door. "I'm getting a plane back to Vegas. Call and complain to the Escort Service. I don't care. I'm done."

Nick stared at the empty spot the other man had just vacated, suddenly overwhelmed with guilt. "Damn it." He ground out, finally releasing his anger. It ended up being taken out on the wall. A fist sized hole was left behind in the wake.

He paced the room, trying to figure out what the hell had gone so wrong in this equation, and how it had gone up in flames so quickly. If he'd handled that conversation better, hell, handled that conversation like an actual human, he might've had Greg forever.

"But, no. Stupid me decided to screw that up, too." He cursed himself, falling backwards onto the bed. But that smelled too much like the lover he'd just forced away so he walked away from that, too, his bloodied knuckles not even registering in his mind.

His mind, desperate for an escape from the situation, wandered back to a case they'd had a few months ago. One of the components in the cause of death was their incompatible living arrangements. Thermite. That's what his boss had called it. When you combine two seemingly harmless elements, like aluminum and rust, press them together, and add heat, it creates an explosion so hot it'll burn through steel. Powerful but uncontrollable. It burns and burns until it burns itself out, finally consuming both elements.

That seemed well on its way to describing his quick fire relationship with Greg.


	9. Chapter 8: Regret

-Last Dance-

**_Same disclaimers apply. Oh, and reviews make me update faster! Oh, and just so you know. This isn't one of thos fics where Nick's family disowns him in a heartbeat. Loving the reviews, guys! keep it up! Sorry about the no-posting lately. My friend tends to kidnap my computer when she comes over -glare-. Here's chapter 8! Hope ya like!_**

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Chapter 8 - Regret:

"Nicky!" Julia called, pounding on the door to his room early the next morning. "You have until the count of three before I come in!" He'd bailed on the rehearsal dinner last night, claiming he wasn't feeling well and thought a good rest would do him some good.

She got no reply from the baby brother, knocking one last time before she started her countdown.

The Texan didn't budge from the bed that strangely felt vacant now that Greg wasn't there to share it with him.

"One!"

He didn't care anymore. He'd blown his chance with Greg. The man he'd spent the last few days falling in love with thought his only goal in the blooming relationship was to get into his pants. Now he was gone, so what was left for him now?

"Two!"

He buried his head deeper within the soft down comforter and the pillows that still held Greg's fading scent. He was desperate to feel close to the younger man again, even though he'd probably never see him again. Greg was probably already back in Vegas, trying his hardest to forget about his time spent in Dallas.

"Three!" With that, the door creaked open, His sister wasted no time in pulling the covers away from him, intent on waking him up as soon as possible. "Get your lazy ass out of bed, baby brother."

He groaned, refusing to move from the sanctuary the bed was providing him. "No!" He huffed, much like a stubborn seven year old trying to avoid school would. "I don't want t get up yet!"

She 'tsked', rolling her eyes as she flopped on top of him. "You must bore poor Greg to tears!" Julia teased, her eyes searching the room. "Hey, speaking of which, where is your better half? I haven't seen him around."

The younger sibling sighed; fighting off the inevitable question he knew was to come. "He left."

"What?" She questioned, surprised by the information. "Why?"

"We got in a fight." He supplied, rolling over onto his back to face her. "And he went back to Vegas."

She forced him into a sitting position. "Well, you have to go after him, Nicky!" She exclaimed, riffling through his bag in search of clean clothes. "You can't let him get away!"

Catching the pair of jeans and shirt she tossed at him, he shook his head. "No. He wanted to go, I'm letting him."

Julia folded her arms over her chest and Nick knew he was in trouble. "We're not having this wedding until everyone is here. That includes Greg. So, unless you want to be the stubborn dolt with too much pride to go after him, there won't be a wedding."

"You're not serious, right?" He questioned, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Oh, you bet I am. Now, get dressed." She left him to that, going to find their eldest sister, Jen, who was sitting with her husband and eldest son in their room on the second floor. "Hey, Jenny, we have a situation."

Jen followed her sister out of the room. "Nicky?" The other woman nodded. "What's going on?"

The younger sighed. "He and Greg got in a fight. Greg left last night, that's why Nicky bailed on us. He's refusing to go after him." Julia informed her sisters, as they walked up the stairs.

"Yeah, that's not happening."

The door to Nick's room flew open, the two angry siblings stood blocking the exit to the room. Nick sat, tying his shoes, on the bed, startled by the abrupt entry. "Have ya heard of knocking?" He questioned, as they advanced on him.

"You're coming with me, Nicky!" Together, and with Nathan's help on the way down, they got him out to the Tahoe. "We are going after Greg. Now."

Realizing that he was being kidnapped to enforce that plan of action, he began squirming, trying to escape the group effort. Once safely in the car, Julia returned to the house to finish preparing for the wedding, while Nathan climbed in the drivers seat and Jen sat in back with her brother.

The older man, still having no clue as to what was going on here, finally questioned their motive in this odd mission. "Babe, could you tell me why exactly we've kidnapped him?"

"Because, I let Greg run away." Nick informed his brother in law remorsefully. They acted as if he'd had a choice in the matter, like he was happy Greg was gone.

"Still can't figure out why, though, if you'd care to enlighten us. Oh, by the way, Nat, We need to get to the airport." She informed her husband.

"It's a long story." The Texan admitted, knowing that the jig was up now and that he'd have to expose Greg's role in the whole thing.

Nathan caught his eye in the rear view mirror. "Believe me; she won't let me turn around until she knows everything. You might as well start talking now."

Nick shrugged, resigning himself to the situations. "Alright, alright. It started when Jules called about the wedding. The mystery lover I'd been going on about? Well, they didn't exist. So, I hired Greg to pretend to be my lover. Originally, it was supposed to be a girl, but I ended up with him by mistake." He explained, ashamed of both his lie and what he'd done to Greg.

"Man, I never would have guessed that you two weren't really together. You fooled everyone." Nathan responded, shocked by that revelation.

"Yeah, that was kind of the point. But, the thing is… we were getting along really well, surprisingly well, really. I was falling in love with him… and after the bachelor party, we both ended up trashed. We stayed at that hotel across the street. And we… had sex."

"That explains why you two showed up the next morning looking like you'd been hit by a truck." Jen commented, before letting him continue.

He nodded. "We were still pretty out of it. Well, when Greg went inside yesterday morning, I followed him. He was acting weird and I called him on it. We had a big blow out about the whole situation. He told me that it was his first time and he didn't remember anything, and that I was acting like nothing had happened." Nick paused, realizing that he had indeed been acting that way. "Which I guess I was, but I was still in the processing stages. I may have also compared him to Kristie…"

Jen smacked him over the back of the head. "You what!?"

"Ow!" Nick groaned. "That hurt!"

"It was supposed to, you idiot!" She shouted, as they continued driving. "I can't believe I'm related to such a brainless moron."

"I didn't mean it, Jen."

She shook her head, irritated with her brother. "You can't keep using her to mess up your relationships, Nicky!"

He stared. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on!" Jen protested. "I've seen you send at least four relationships down the drain because of her. You finally find someone who can deal with her insanity and you compare them to her? I'm sorry, Nicky, but she was never good enough for you. And I won't let you lose Greg because of the same mistake."

Nick, starting to see her point, didn't answer.

Nathan, who had been on his way to the airport, stopped abruptly, surprising the cars other two occupants. "There he is."


	10. Chapter 9: Here At The End Of All Things

-Last Dance-

**_Same disclaimers apply. Oh, and reviews make me update faster! Oh, and just so you know. This isn't one of thos fics where Nick's family disowns him in a heartbeat. You guys are killing me on reviews. Only got two for the last chapter. Step it up and I'll post the Epilogue tonight!_**

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Chapter 9 - Here At The End Of All Things:

Nick sat frozen in place in the back of the Tahoe, staring intently at the silhouette of his lost lover. The younger man was sitting on the bench in the park, the one that the two of them had shared just two days prior, during the family reunion party, before Nick had gone and messed everything up.

"Are you waiting for an invitation or something, Nicky?" Jen prodded, trying to get him out of the car that was still idling on the side of the road. "Get over there, already!" She demanded. Nathan shifted the car into park, fully prepared to forcibly drag his brother-in-law out of the vehicle if the opportunity presented itself.

"Jen…" Nick started to protest, eyes still fixated on the man hunched over on the bench. "I - I can't, Jen. He won't want to talk to me again. Not after what I said to him, how I acted…"

She shot him a cold, hard stare before replying. "So make his listen to you. You can't lose him, Nicky."

Nathan nodded his head in agreement, catching the other man's eyes in the rear view mirror. "Get a move on now, Tex, or I'll start moving you."

"Fine!" Nick huffed, realizing he'd be outnumbered if he tried any type of escape plan. There was no way out of this. He begrudgingly removed himself from the car, taking a hesitant step toward the other man, who seemed completely oblivious to his presence.

He heard the familiar beep of the Tahoe locking; leaving him with no way back into the vehicle should he change his mind. He looked back, his sister now in the passenger's seat waving him forward.

The Texan continued toward Greg, only stopping when he stood directly in front of him. The younger man finally noticed his presence at that point, though he didn't look up, his eyes concentrating on the blades of grass his fingers were compulsively tearing apart. A plane ticket was sticking out of the duffel bag on the ground beside him.

"The next flight back to Vegas isn't until tonight." The heartbroken man explained, still refusing to look up. "You don't have to worry; I'll be out of your hair in no time. I'm counting the minutes until I'm gone."

"Greg…" Nick whispered, moving to sit beside the other man, a sense of déjà vu hitting him quickly. If only it were still two days ago. He wished it were, and then he could fix this catastrophe. "Don't say that… I don't want you to go."

The younger man finally looked up, his expression one of mock resolve. "Shouldn't you be at the wedding?"

He shook his head. "No, right now I should be apologizing to you. You don't have to say anything else if you don't want to. Just listen, okay?" Greg simply nodded. "Okay. Good." He exhaled deeply, preparing himself for what was to come. "Last night… was the worst I've slept in forever. That bed felt so empty without you in it, as hard as that is to believe… I mean, we've only known each other for four days, and I feel like I've known you forever. Like your some old friend I found again after a long time apart. And, God, I wish we hadn't been drunk out of our minds that night. I want you to know that if I could I'd re-do that whole night, I would. So it would have been special for you instead of… what it was. I would have waited, and made it a night you would never ever forget."

Greg was still silently letting the elder speak, biting his lip as the few memories he'd managed to put together from that night returned.

"You told me I was acting like it didn't mean anything to me. But, it did. And that kinda scared me, really. So I acted as if it didn't because I didn't know you felt the same. I know I still do. I hope you do, too. I hope that I didn't completely screw this up."

"I'm not sure." The younger admitted honestly.

Nick nodded. "I can accept that. I still have some things to apologize for though. Comparing you to Kristie, for one. I can't believe I said that, because it's the furthest possible thing from the truth."

Greg nodded again, a faint smile pulling at his lips. "You can stop apologizing now."

"But-"

"Your sister is watching us." Greg pointed out, looking over Nick's shoulder at the woman leaning against the car. Having been spotted, she approached them.

"Uh oh." Was Nick's only reply.

"Did you two work things out?" She asked innocently, a hand on her brother's shoulder.

The Texan looked to Greg, as it was up to him whether or not his apology was accepted. The younger looked rather indecisive. Jen picked up on that.

"Okay, then. Guess I'll have to assist." She smirked.

"Jen!" Her brother glared death at her, but it didn't seem to be affecting her.

Her attention was focused on the younger of the two men. "Greg, my brother is far too stubborn to actually admit this, so I'll have to do it for him. He's in love with you. I've never seen him act the way he does around you with any of the other's I've met over the years. He told me that you two weren't really together when you came here. But, the chemistry between the two of you fooled us all. None of us would have guessed that you two weren't already madly in love."

"It was my job to convince you of that, wasn't it?" He asked pointedly when she finally stopped long enough for him to get a word in edgewise.

"No one's that good." Jen retorted, not fazed by his interruption. "I see it with you, too. Because no one's fit in with our huge family that quickly. We finally found someone for Nicky who can stand the insanity. There's no ay were letting you escape."

"I thought you were assisting, not scaring him the hell away." Nick ground out, there's no way she was helping his case.

"You hush." She snapped, before continuing her rant. "I don't know everything that happened between you and Nick at that hotel, but you should give him another chance to prove to you that he really is in love with you."

Greg's gaze fell on Nick again.

"Jen, can you give us a minute, please?" Nick asked politely; glad when she excused herself with no further arguments.

"You really do love me?" The younger questioned, eyes pleading with the others for the answer he hoped to hear.

"Yeah." He managed, mind reeling for a more coherent reply to such a life-altering question. "I know it doesn't make sense, but, yeah."

Greg nodded. "Say it."

"I love you." A huge grin broke out as soon as the words left his lips, his expression mirrored in the other's thousand-watt smile.

Slender arms wrapped around him, and he held tightly to the younger man, afraid he would change his mind and run away from him again. He captured Greg's lips in a tender kiss, unlike the one in the car or any of the ones shared in the alcohol induced haze. It was short, too short, and gentle.

"I love you, too, you know." Greg whispered, his head buried in the crook of the elders shoulder. "Guess love at first sight really does exist, huh?"

"Yeah." The Texan replied, trying to block out the loud 'aww' that reached his ears from the direction of the Tahoe.

Nathan's voice reached his ears next. "Nick! Julia wants to know what's taking you two so long!" He stuck his head out the window, a cell phone in hand. "We need to get back."

Nick grinned, taking Greg's hand and pulling him to his feet, grabbing Greg's bags as well. "Come on, Greggo, we have a wedding to get to!"


	11. Epilogue: The Last Dance

-Last Dance-

**_Same disclaimers apply. Oh, and reviews make me update faster! Oh, and just so you know. This isn't one of thos fics where Nick's family disowns him in a heartbeat. Okay, sorry I couldn't post this last night like I'd planned to, my friend kidnapped me. so, here it is, the epilogue. Hope you like! Thanks to the reviewers!_**

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Epilogue: The Last Dance

_You can dance every dance with the guy  
Who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight  
You can smile every smile for the man  
Who held your hand 'neath the pale moonlight  
But don't forget who's takin' you home  
And in whose arms you're gonna be  
So darlin', save the last dance for me_

The rhythm of the classic song by Ben E. King & The Drifters echoed through the large speaker system set up in the backyard of the Stokes ranch. Couples moved about on the edges of the make-shift dance floor. Bill and Jillian. Jen and Nathan. Katie and Alex. Jamie and Dan. Elise and Noah. Megan and David. Julia and Michael. And Nick and Greg as the center of attention.

"Can you believe it's been three years?" The elder asked, one hand possessively stationed on his lover's hip, and the other on his shoulder as they swayed to the beat of the romantic music. "It seems like just yesterday Julia and Michael were getting married. Now they have a four month old." His eyes wandered over to the couple, and the infant they were holding between them as they danced.

Greg leaned forward, closing what little distance was between them to kiss the Texan softly. "And one day, that'll be us." He whispered, smiling as he pulled away from the other, lacing his fingers with Nick's, a grin spread across his face.

_Oh, I know that the music's fine  
Like sparklin' wine, go and have your fun  
Laugh and sing, but while we're apart  
Don't give your heart to anyone  
But don't forget who's takin' you home  
And in whose arms you're gonna be  
So darlin' save the last dance for me_

Nick grinned at the thought, looking forward to their future together. Thanks to a quick trip to Canada, he had recently claimed Greg as his husband, and now they were celebrating that fact in the company of family and close friends. "Yeah, and in a few hours we get to enjoy our vacation."

"Looking forward to that, Nicky." The younger laughed, resting his head on the other's shoulder as the music continued. "It's a wonder in and of itself Grissom managed to talk Ecklie into giving us time off together."

After summer and winter semesters, Greg had finished college in December of 1997, at the top of his class, and had joined the Las Vegas Crime Lab, working the same shift as Nick, bestowed with the honor of Head DNA Technician. Nick had been suitably impressed. "Yeah, at least Cath and Warrick will stop teasing us about getting married now, though. Maybe we should start teasing them?"

"Ooh, good plan." Greg nodded, eyeing the couple mingling with Nick's family. "And they thought -we- were obvious. Pfft."

"You're such a geek." The Texan teased, spinning the younger man around in time with the song still playing in the background.

_Baby don't you know I love you so  
Can't you feel it when we touch?  
I will never, never let you go  
I love you oh so much_

"You say 'geek' like it's a bad thing, baby." Greg smirked, winking suggestively at his lover, running his fingers down the other's chest before his hands settled on the elder mans hip.

"Oh, no, not at all." Nick protested. "Geeks are hot."

He grinned as the Texan dipped him like an expert dancer would. "Glad you think so."

They heard a chorus of 'Ooh's' and 'Aww's' with the action, as well as a mumbled reply of "They're putting us guys to shame!" Undoubtedly from Noah, Nick decided.

"I think other people think so, too, Greggo." The elder laughed, pulling his lover upright to spin him around again.

_You can dance, go and carry on  
Till the night is gone  
And it's time to go  
If he asks if you're all alone  
Can he take you home, you must tell him no  
'Cause don't forget who's taking you home  
And in whose arms you're gonna be  
So darling, save the last dance for me_

The practiced movements continued flawlessly throughout the instrumental break between the last verse and the final chorus of the song. Nick moving skillfully as he led the younger man in the steps. As the last notes of the song played, he pulled his lover closer, bodies fused against each other, to press a passionate kiss to Greg's lips, falling into yet another graceful spin as they did so.

When they separated, the song had ended, the two men grinning like they knew some atomic secret no one else was privy to, the guests of their wedding reception cheering for them as they stepped off of the dance floor.

"You up for taking off now, baby?" The younger inquired, the sooner they left, the sooner they got on the plane that would take them on their honeymoon.

Nick nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, I'm all for making that the last dance."

"Well, not exactly the -last- dance. If you get my drift." Greg teased, throwing an arm around the elders shoulder.

_'Cause don't forget who's taking you home  
And in whose arms you're gonna be  
So darling, save the last dance for me  
Save the last dance for me  
Save the last dance for me._


End file.
